An opinion piece worth reading

Given the mega-high connectedness of our modern world (for better and yes, at times, for worse), you’ve likely heard of the new sassy term athleisure, a fun fashion word that captures the intersection of athletics and leisure, in special reference to a unique sub-section of clothing designed (excuse pun) to take wearers effortlessly from the more physical sides of their lives to the more relaxed, most often in fabulously well-crafted creations.

Of course, we’ve written about it in Diary world, given our ongoing love of the sartorial. (See our style section for oodles of fashion obsessed posts).

But there’s a new “combo-descriptive” in town that marries our old pal leisure to business.

Social Gals and Gents, behold the birth of BLEISURE!

Clearly a direct byproduct of the extreme tech-connectedness and ability to work anywhere and everywhere on the planet, this modern phenom refers to a rapidly exploding travel trend, wherein travellers need never leave their work lives behind.

Thanks to widespread Wi-Fi, almost every destination conceivable rapidly morphs into a satellite work station and office. All travellers need is a laptop and the work, the productivity, can champion on!

In fact, according to recent stats, 2017 is expected to see almost 46% of all travellers embrace the bleisure boom.

The rosy side (kinda): In a world where the communi-tech revolution has taken hold with such gusto, and things move at such a rapid pace, the bleisure movement allows us to keep up to speed at all times, to not miss out on the next big development, or deal, or client.

We have the previously unimaginable ability to be immersed, engaged always, no matter what or where!

Deals can be clinched from a patio overlooking the Caribbean, or while enjoying cocktails apres ski in a cosy-glam Aspen chalet.

Of course, as an entrepreneur who launched her own beloved brand five years ago (with a thirst to grow and nurture it and take things next level), I do see the value here. Big time.

Technology allows me to continue updating, managing, planning, coordinating, deal-making from wherever I might be perched. And it becomes even easier when the brand, like mine, is media-based and posts like this one can be created from a pool-side deck-chair, or buffet breakfast table.

There’s definitely a lot of value in that BUT …

The not so rosy side: Like anything in life, even the fabulous stuff, be it chocolate, fine wine, whatever your pleasure, can turn nasty in the long run, if taken to an extreme. And sadly, it looks like the bleisure trend is taking hold at a pretty intense and extreme rate, which can’t bode well for many of us in the future …

Heck, if we exhale and take a step back here, some pretty interesting in-our-face food-for-thought comes to the fore.

According to good ol’ Merriam Webster, leisure is defined as follows:

LEISURE: Freedom provided by the cessation of activities; especially: time free from work or duties.

So how can it be that such conflicting entities have tumbled into such a torrid and heated relationship, when their basic natures are so completely at odds?

Yes, I know, some say opposites attract, but, often they crash and burn, and the prognosis for this coupling taken to an extreme cannot be a good thing for our souls and psyches. Burnout anyone?

The takeaway: Sooo … this month when I leave for vacation, I’m going to make a serious effort to rein in my pretty deeply ingrained bleisure tendencies that long predated their sexy new descriptive.

I’m going to bring the laptop (not ready for cold turkey just yet) but leave it in the room, along with my smart phone, which I vow to check only once in the AM, and never on weekends.

I’m going to make my way down to the pool every morning, equipped only with reading materials for the day, and sunscreen.

I’m going to attempt to take the bleisure down to a level where I’ll hopefully remind myself of what life used to resemble before leisure and business fell hopelessly, madly in love … and I’m going to allow the effects of a real vacation – relaxation and rejuvenation – to “work” their magic. 😉